Assam government considers regulating private madrassas, says education minister
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Guwahati: Amid controversies around Madrassas being allegedly linked to terror organisations in the state, the Assam government may regulate all private madrassas. Education Minister Ranoj Pegu said that the government is considering whether private seminaries can be brought under the control of the Assam Non-Government Educational Institutions (Regulation and Management) Act, 2006.
No concrete decision has been taken yet.
He explained that the state already has an Act to monitor non-governmental educational institutions but not all schools are covered under it. "The government is gradually taking steps to regulate and monitor them." He added that the Law Department will examine whether private madrassas fall under the same category.
Director General of Police Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta had earlier stated there are around 3,000 registered and unregistered madrassas in the state. They are mainly run by four Muslim organisations. All 610 state-run madrassas were converted into upper primary, high, and higher secondary schools from April 2021. However, none of the teaching and non-teaching staff faced changes in status, pay, allowances, or service conditions.
Since March 2022, 42 staff in madrassas have been arrested in Assam over alleged links with Al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT). Four madrassas have been demolished over the alleged links with "Jihadi elements".
Mahanta added that the government will launch a portal for existing madrassas to upload relevant details about the staff. A set of guidelines, syllabus, and survey will also be issued to manage the situation.
